The Palestine Chronology

The Arab League ends 2 days of talks in Libya to debate whether to re-endorse proximity talks without reaching an agreement, though members renew support for the 2002 Arab League initiative offering full normalization for full peace. (WP 3/29; WJW 4/1)

The IDF makes a brief incursion into s. Gaza e. of Abasan to level land along the border fence to clear lines of sight. In the West Bank, 10s of Palestinians, Christian clerics, and international activists take part in a nonviolent march from Bethlehem to the main IDF checkpoint to Jerusalem to protest Israeli restrictions on Christians entering Jerusalem today, Palm Sunday; IDF troops beat marchers, arrest 12 Palestinians (including Fatah Central Comm. mbr. Abbas Zaki; all are released on 4/1) and 4 internationals (releasing them later in the day), and seal the Gilo crossing to Jerusalem (including to medical cases and tourists) through 3/31. (OCHA, PCHR 4/1)

Israel rejects PA proposal for Israel to hand over Tubas area to create geographic link with Jericho, joint patrol of Jericho-Tubas road as part of redeployment. (QY 6/2 in FBIS 6/5)

PLO Exec. Comm. closes 2-day meeting in Tunis, vows to fight Israeli land seizures, calls on international community to pressure Israel to meet 7/1 deadline on extending self-rule, gives Arafat mandate to continue negotiations. (VOP 6/3 in FBIS 6/5; WP, WT 6/4) (see 3/17)

Arafat announces that 3 senior PLO mbrs. will be returning to self-rule areas fr. Jordan in the next few wks to take over security operations: `Atallah `Atallah to head West Bank security; Mahmud al-Natur to head Force 17; 'Abbas Zaki to oversee Fatah operations. (MA 6/9 in FBIS 6/14)

IDF shells house in Hebron, killing Palestinian suspected of being a Hamas mbr. who killed several Israelis in West Bank. (QY 6/2 in FBIS 6/2; QY, VOP 6/2, QY 6/3 in FBIS 6/5; NYT 6/6; MEI 7/21)

Fateh delegation led by 'Abbas Zaki meets with 7 Palestinian factions opposed to peace process in Damascus. Organizations represented are PPSF, PLF, PFLP, DFLP, PFLPGC, al-Sa'iqah, and Islamic Jihad. Delegation is to proceed to Amman for meeting with Hamas. (Algiers VOP, al-Rayv 7/14 in FBIS 7/15)

FM Peres proposes opening negotiations on final status based on Palestinian-Jordanian confederation in meeting with U.S. envoy Ross. (Ha Aretz 7/15 in FBIS 7/15)

U.S. delegation holds 2d meeting with Israeli leadership. Official statements are terse, but it is speculated discussions included tensions between Israel and Syria following escalation of violence in southern Lebanon. (MM 7/13)

2d U.S.-Palestinian meeting held at U.S. consulate in Jerusalem. (Qol Yisra'el 7/13 in FBIS 7/14)

Israeli rights group B'Tselem says 232 Palestinians under 17 killed by IDF since start of intifada, 38 in last 6 months. IDF calls such deaths "unavoidable," claims intifada casualties have declined, saying 166 Israelis, 1,859 Palestinians killed since outbreak of uprising. Report also states 100,000 Palestinians detained, 60,000 incarcerated over same period. (MM 7/13; Qol Yisra'el 7/13 in FBIS 7/15; WT 7/14)

Israeli police arrest 4 teenage members of "Kahane Lives" for the 11/92 grenade murder of a Palestinian in Jerusalem. (NYT 7/14)

Palestinian motorist shot dead by Border Police, second wounded in Hebron. (ITV 7/14 in FBIS 7/15)

PLO reconciliation meeting held in Damascus grouping representatives of Fateh, PFLP, and DFLP (Hawatmah faction). (al-Dustur 7/13 in FBIS 7/13)

PLO joins with Bangladesh, Iran, Malaysia, Pakistan, Tunisia, and Turkey in offer to send peacekeepers to Bosnia. (WP 7/14)